<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>No One Broke DB Cooper's Fall by archergwen</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111092">No One Broke DB Cooper's Fall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/archergwen/pseuds/archergwen'>archergwen</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The River Goes Where the Water Flows [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canonical Minor Character Death, Gen, Let Toph Say Fuck 2020, Season 2 speed run, Sokka is delighted, Title Has Opinions on S2E17, Zuko does not get his swearing under control, also the author loves a good meme or reference, male friendships are important to me, or almost friends, what's a discussion of cannibalism between friends?</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:54:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,878</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26111092</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/archergwen/pseuds/archergwen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Zuko is there for the Gaang's search for an earthbending master. Follows "No Haven Safer than the One They Tore Down."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka &amp; Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The River Goes Where the Water Flows [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1895833</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>191</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No One Broke DB Cooper's Fall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I am succumbing to peer pressure and also the fact that I've been listening to "Rain in Soho" by the Mountain Goats on repeat for like three days and it's also raining today. Seriously, this exists simply because I wanted a fic with this title. Honest. I titled the first fic (which was fragments pestering until written down) and now I have a theme.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko wants to be anywhere else.</p><p>Truly.</p><p>The waterbender won't stop watching him from the corner of her eye, and he's never been good enough with people to tell whether the glare is concern over a patient or because she wanted to shove him out of the giant saddle. Well, even with Uncle staying to start some Pai Sho gambling den or whatever with the angry Pakku, at least the Avatar would stop her from that, since her brother was too asleep to help if she decided the air bison needed less weight.</p><p>He looks over the side and down. They were over the ocean, only a few hours from the North Pole, so without any waterbending, he'd still die. He'd bet that from this height the surface of the water would hit like jumping from the tallest watchtower onto the steel deck of the <i>Wani.</i></p><p>He looks back up and now Aang is turned around and staring at him, an open and frankly terrifying grin on his face.</p><p>"What the fuck are you looking at?"</p><p>Katara now glares openly at him. "You shouldn't use that language. We're just kids."</p><p>"Oh shit, sorry. I'm used to sailors. Better watch my mouth around you little bastards."</p><p>She glares harder.</p><p>"I mean, crap, uh I better watch my mouth around you little bastar-" He cuts himself off just in time, and sinks his head into his hands.</p><p>Zuko really wants to be anywhere else.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>A voice interrupts his carefully balanced sharpening of Boomerang across his crossed legs. "You're okay with this?"<p>Sokka doesn't know what to make of their latest tagalong. Sokka thinks the guy might be in shock, given how he just seems to be floating through the days, swearing and helping Katara with stuff Sokka wouldn't be caught dead doing of his own free will.</p><p>Katara only seems to glare at him when he swears, now. Maybe there's something to cooking and cleaning without being asked.</p><p>The jerkbender is staring at him out of the one visible eye - he was surprisingly uncaring about Aang's "oh don't mind him Mr General Fong Sir he's a veteran of the Northern Invasion took a Huge Head Wound to save me he's cool" idea of covering half his face in bandages. Fong still stared suspiciously at the too-pale skin and too-gold eyes, but let it be. Likely because he knew he wouldn't get what he wanted out of Aang without-</p><p>Aw hell.</p><p>"No, no I'm not. But I'm outvoted."</p><p>The firebender huffs as he crossed his arms. "That's stupid."</p><p>"Hey, if you'd participate in discussions, maybe I wouldn't be outvoted so much."</p><p>"Right. Like your sister wants to hear any of my suggestions. It's like she's just waiting for me to suggest eating babies, which, like, forget for a second that that's a human person with a soul, why would someone eat a baby when there's fish and artic hens right there? Saute a cut of that and throw it on some rice, thanks."</p><p>"You guys eat fish?"</p><p>"Island nation. We eat so many fish."</p><p>Sokka flops backwards to lie prone. "Why are we enemies again?"</p><p>"My paternal line is crazy."</p><p>A crash sounds from somewhere off to the right. "Speaking of crazy," Sokka sighs.</p><p>Zuko pulls out a knife and steals Sokka's sharpening tools. "We could just kidnap the other two and bounce. We have a fucking air bison."</p><p>Sokka is really annoyed he can only see the bandaged side of Zuko's face, because he has no idea what reaction the guy had to, "You have got to teach me how to properly cuss, too."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> * * * </p>
</div><i>Fucking swamp; Fucking Avatars; thrice-damned mud-</i><p>He can hear Aang laughing and yelling off in the distance, so that's his anchor. He's marching forward, ignoring the irony of having sent a polite "you suck" letter to his dad but now he's here in this creepy ass swamp hunting the Avatar, so to speak. He really wants to be anywhere else.</p><p>"Hey, Little Cousin."</p><p>Zuko looks up from squelching boots to see a face he'd not seen in years. "Lu Ten?"</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>Aang could not be more elated. He knows who his Earthbending Master will be; he met some super cool swamp dudes; and Katara isn't glaring at Zuko as much anymore! They are all going to be best friends so soon he can tell.<p>"Sit still!"</p><p>Just as soon as he figures out firebending. Zuko sure does teach different from Katara.</p><p>"We are just breathing! Why do you move so much?"</p><p>Much better teacher than Jeong Jeong. Aang hasn't been tempted to do any fireballs since Zuko made him snuff out the candle, which made him start crying because his little fire was dead, which Zuko did say was normal from the tree Katara had iced him to upside down.</p><p>"That's it. Forget this shit; we're doing a walking meditation."</p><p>Ever since the swamp, Zuko seemed to be back to his normal self pre-North Pole. He'd missed that, even if now that they were together more he'd heard some very creative vocabulary he never would have learned as a monk. Whatever Zuko had seen, it had kicked his teaching butt into gear.</p><p>Though no sparklers from his fingers yet.</p><p>One day, when Katara is standing very far away. It's gonna look so cool.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>She got a pretty decent feel for everyone when they were walking in. She wonders who it was that convinced her parents to let them stay for dinner, and include her - the leader was way too light on his feet to truly be convincing.<p>Toph would bet it was the firebender. She'd paid attention when foreign merchants came over to know that the coiled ball of heat walking around was from the Fire Nation, the only country who had things right now since the Northern Water Tribe wasn't in the mood to share, apparently, and everyone in town knew her parents wouldn't miss a chance to maybe make a deal, lay a foundation for a new trade route or something. Hopefully this wouldn't take too long. She had a Rumble to get to.</p><p>"So, young travelers, what brings you to our door so curiously?"</p><p>"Your daughter." Yep. Twinkletoes is way too blunt to- "I need to learn Earthbending from her."</p><p>Her father breaks the uncomfortable silence. "Young man, this is a cruel joke to play. Our daughter is blind and has barely progressed in beginner's lessons as consequence." She'd be less blind if the chairs weren't so tall and her feet could touch the floor. "I don't know who you think-"</p><p>"I'm the Avatar."</p><p>Toph hides her grin. This is going to be great. Dinner and a show won't take long at all, so her evening just opened back up.</p><p>"Of course." Her father's voice is silk over steel. "I am sure the Avatar needs <i>much</i> assistance. I do not think my daughter can provide it, however. How much do you think you need?"</p><p>"No, no, it has to be your daughter. I had a spirit vision, hence why we're here. Even if it's just the basics, I'm sure she has something important to teach me that the spirits want me to learn."</p><p>"I've heard enough."</p><p>Toph uses the resulting sounds as a distraction to slip out of her chair and get a read on what's happening. The flighty leader is being dragged away as he sounds way too happy in his confusion as to why her parents won't listen. How old is this pretender, twelve? His two companions are following, shaking their heads-</p><p>Wait, two.</p><p>She pours her senses into the walls and grounds. There is a too-warm body waiting on the roof, shifting just once to flex an ankle as she listens to the earthen tiles.</p><p>"Father," she says, casting her voice a little higher and weaker. "May I be excused?"</p><p>"Of course, Toph."</p><p>"Good night, Father. Mother."</p><p>"Sleep well dearest."</p><p>Toph tunes out their discussion of the dinner - apparently the kid did look twelve or so - and focuses on moving silently towards where the intruder dropped into the yard back where no guards are looking right now, so busy getting the others out. She steps through the wall of the house behind the firebender.</p><p>"Your friends aren't very good distractions."</p><p>His heart rate spikes satisfyingly, but he doesn't jump - merely turn to face her and bow. "You are good at what you do, Lady Beifong."</p><p>"What are you really after?"</p><p>He pauses, shifts onto one foot, and with perfect honestly replies, "Do you want to get the fuck out of here and teach the Avatar how to earthbend?"</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>At first Katara was excited to have another girl around. That lasted five minutes.<p>First, Toph demanded they wait for her to defend her Earth Rumble Championship, which it seemed Katara was the only one against. Though, she happily admits, it was a great chance to see not only Toph's talent, but just talented earthebending in general. Plus, no one seemed to get too hurt, and it was night blissfully free from swearing, since Zuko didn't seem to understand everything what being responsible for kids entailed. Gran-Gran had explained to her the first time she came home with a swear word that maybe sailors on the open sea away from kids got to use such language, but those responsible at home had to be better than that. Though Zuko didn't seem like he'd ever had a Gran-Gran. Katara had told him, though.</p><p>For a bloodsport, the Earth Rumble was pretty family friendly.</p><p>So maybe it would work out. Toph is a noble girl - she probably won't be able to help with chores, but at least she'll stand up with Katara against the boyish idiocy and swearing.</p><p>Or not.</p><p>Toph really likes Zuko, like "I just found my missing older brother after ten years" kinda like. She hangs around him all the time when not throwing rocks at Aang's head, laughing at his really stilted jokes and poking him until he yells. That did mean Toph helped with chores once! Because Zuko was helping, and Toph wanted to try. But then she declared she hated it but she was "pulling her own weight so it was fine."</p><p>It was not fine.</p><p>Katara keeps stuffing all that down, though, because she's supposed to be responsible and everything, which is why she hands Toph dinner first tonight.</p><p>Toph's a little clumsy though, because Aang finally had a breakthrough and now the two of them are really pushing themselves to their limit. So Toph's fingers close around her bowl, but not the chopsticks, which land in the dirt.</p><p>"Aw fuck!" Toph exclaims.</p><p>Katara shrieks in anger, wheels around, and punches Zuko right in the face.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>Something terrible has happened while they were in the Library and Toph was alone. Zuko is vaguely aware of the screaming, of whirling winds, but he has a death grip on Sokka's jacket and is pulling him closer across the sand. Something about it is hilariously funny.<p>"What?"</p><p>"You- you- Did you seriously hit He Who Knows Ten Thousand Things with his own book?"</p><p>Sokka giggles, the adrenaline just starting to leave both their bodies. "I guess he knows Ten Thousand and One now."</p><p>"Shhhhhhsshh we're right on top of him."</p><p>"Should get moving- get to Ba Sing Se- Tell the king about the you country's bullshit legal loopholes we found."</p><p>"Or we could nap here for like five seconds."</p><p>"Buddy, you're the smartest man on the planet."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>They'd split up to enter the city - Aang with Katara and Toph to go straight to the Earth King for help while Sokka and Zuko hunted for signs of Appa.<p>Zuko regrets that as Jet prowls up on his left side.</p><p>"Hey buddy got some fresh-ish dinner- oh. Jet."</p><p>"Sokka."</p><p>The two boys stare at each other, voices and gazes ice cold, so Zuko has to pry a bowl of the complimentary dinner from Sokka's grip. He takes a sniff as two more people materialize from the shadows and the two guys start yelling at each other about cowardice and flooded towns and sisters. Zuko tips his bowl over the side and then the yelling stops.</p><p>"That bad, huh?" Jet sneers.</p><p>"I don't want to be vomiting my guts out while you're having your lover's spat."</p><p>"We are not having a lover's spat!"</p><p>Zuko makes eye contact with Jet's archer, and shares a smirk. "Could've fooled me."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>"So was he always a vindictive jackass?"<p>"Pretty much."</p><p>Sokka is kind of leading them through the crowds of Ba Sing Se's lower ring, but neither of them know where they are or where to go, really, and technically Zuko is walking in front. Jet is tailing them, and obvious about it, not that Sokka is all that impressed if he would be subtle because Sokka is still wearing the bright blue of the Southern Water Tribe. He's kinda obvious.</p><p>He suddenly runs into Zuko's back, who has suddenly stopped. "Watch it-"</p><p>And the guy is now tearing off into a tea shop that has a merry green dragon painted out front. Sokka follows, nearly getting the door slammed in his face due to Zuko's haste, but he makes it inside in time to see Zuko absolutely swallowed in a hug by the old tea shop owner.</p><p>"Uncle."</p><p>There's something fishy going on here-</p><p>"I knew it! These two are spies for the Fire Nation and this old man in their contact!"</p><p>Zuko doesn't hesitate to grab the swords off the nearest guardsman and just start tearing into Jet. Or trying to. Sokka - who has spent the travel time trying to get Aang to apologize to Toph and when that doesn't work getting Zuko to beat him up disguised as sword fight training as a distraction from the tension - immediately tries to make the territory hostile to Jet. If that means stealing a woman's tea, so be it.</p><p>This is how they meet the Dai Li - two bros fighting side-by-side in a tea shop, held five feet apart by the guardsman's buddies like they're delinquent pygmy puma kittens.</p><p>Uncle Fire Nation spins a tale of a family split by misfortune who always resolved to meet back up in Ba Sing Se should the worst happen - which it did - and the Dai Li only start to buy it when a random customer who'd seen the tea shop run-and-hug gestures at Zuko and goes "look at this kid! Some asshole put a fist of fire in his face and you think he'd spy against you?"</p><p>Well, there's goes his afternoon plans of having eardrums. Zuko is going to be yelling once the terrifying secret police earth benders finish carting Jet away.</p><p>Zuko doesn't start yelling, actually, once Uncle has stuffed them in the back room "to think about your behavior before we have a proper reunion." He's thinking.</p><p>Aw hell.</p><p>"They're the ones who have Appa, aren't they?"</p><p>Zuko just shoots him a look.</p><p>"Well fuck."</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>"Azula is <i>what?</i>"<p>Iroh merely repeats, "I believe she is in the city attempting a coup."</p><p>"Woah, Zuko," Sokka interrupts. "You have a sister? Since when?"</p><p>"Since I was two."</p><p>"And you never told us?"</p><p>Zuko looks at them all with barely contained frustration. "It's not like we had time to sit down and share every detail from our lives, you guys. We have stuff to do? Azula might be why you guys haven't been able to see the Earth King."</p><p>Katara huffs. "Don't remind me. That skeevy Long Feng is always in the way."</p><p>"That is exactly who I think Azula is trying to take down, given that the Earth King has no real power - it is all in the hands of the Dai Li."</p><p>Sokka stands up from the floor of the Upper Ring house the Avatar was given. "Well, that's good enough for me. We gotta raid their headquarters anyway, because me and Zuko are pretty sure they've got Appa."</p><p>Aang is instantly ready. "Let's go!"</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>* * *</p>
</div>"He's lying," Toph whispers, but Zuko has a tight grip on both Katara and Aang, pulling them forward. Jet told them to go, to leave him, so Zuko is making them go. He hopes Smellerbee and Longshot make it out, but there's a bigger job to do than make sure people who tried to stab him in the back survive until Long Feng is out of the picture. Even if they helped in the end.<p>Sokka is keeping pace as they race through the tunnel Toph carves for them.</p><p>Uncle is, somewhere.</p><p>Zuko is refusing to think about it.</p><p>They tumble into the throne room from a side wall. A dark haired- Mai!- girl has the Earth King secured on his throne, and Zuko would bet she's standing half as jailer, half protection, with Ty Lee at her side. Azula is a few steps down the stairs, staring at a man with a long queue before her.</p><p>"And now, unfortunately Princess, comes the time when I betray you both," the man - must be Long Feng - says with a smirk.</p><p>But Azula looks away from the threat to see him, her brother, for the first time in years. "Ah! Brother! Here to help us liberate Ba Sing Se from the Dai Li?"</p><p>"What the fuck?"</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>